jouster wrote:I definitely also rate season 3 way up there, possibly first. There are just too many great episodes for it not to be, I think. Looking forward to more write-ups over there.

What season 3 really had going for it was a large amount of stand-alone episodes. As most of us know, Chase wished he could have done more of those type, as opposed to the ongoing soap-opera crime drama episodes. Between Employee of the Month, University, Another Toothpick, Pine Barrens, and ...To Save Us All From Satan's Power (an underrated episode I think) the third season really shown with stand-alone episodes, that might have nods to ongoing plots, but in general had their own story to tell.

I remember reading an article in Rolling Stone when the third season come out and Chase was saying how proud of it he was.

I think it may have to do with what you said, Garth, regarding the number of stand-alone episodes, and we all know that Chase prererred to tell stories in that format. He wanted to make each episode it's own little art film, and the third season seemed to adhere to that the most.

If anyone else remembers, it was also the first season in widescreen, and the episodes were noticeably longer than the first two seasons. Along with trying to make each episode it's own independent entity, it made for maybe the most cimeatic season I suppose.

I don't think that's right, AJC - every season of The Sopranos is in widescreen. I never noticed season 3 episodes being any longer, myself, but you may very well be correct about that.

I agree with the observation that season 3 is the least serialized. The Jackie Jr. story was the only throughline through the entire season that I can recall (Gloria doesn't even appear until episode 8!).

jouster wrote:I don't think that's right, AJC - every season of The Sopranos is in widescreen. I never noticed season 3 episodes being any longer, myself, but you may very well be correct about that.

I agree with the observation that season 3 is the least serialized. The Jackie Jr. story was the only throughline through the entire season that I can recall (Gloria doesn't even appear until episode 8!).

Season 3 was definitely the first season to originally air in widescreen, but the subsequent DVD sets were all in widescreen.

And the episodes were definitely longer as a whole as well. I'll too lazy to go back and count the minutes but I think the third season was the longest (in a matter of speaking), at least up until that point.

I am wondering if you all are right. I know the first two seasons are presented in wide screen. Which lends us to believe that they were filmed for wide screen television. But not necessarily broadcast that way by HBO, due to the lack of appeal in the mainstream for wide screen television.

Here's a great article from the LA Times from the same writer as the AV Club Sopranos recap pieces comparing the Sopranos to Broadwalk Empire. It's timing is perfect for me. I really like this guy's recaps and he seems to hit the nail on the head about were and why BE stands in comparison.Last nights episode was a complete 10. Fantastic. Still, it's a perfect example of why it will never reach that same level, nor will any of the other shows of equal quality. To sum it up, we're screwed. Nothings going to replace it

I personally can't read the articles anymore. They are just too long winded ("..To Save Us All From Satan's Power..." is 2500 words long!). The most recent write up for the season four premiere is boring and goes into very little detail about the episode. As one AVClub commenter put it:

'I was really hoping they were getting someone else to write these. This dickhead likes to go on and on and on about everything in the world except the episode and leans heavily on freshman-grade philosophy and cutesy writing. To go eleven paragraphs and only mention specific events in passing, while babbling like an idiot about 9/11 and decade-old behind the scenes dishing, shows a person who's more in love with his own voice than he is able to say anything interesting about this show. The Sopranos deserves better. "